Eden Hazard says he knows that he's "not a leader off the pitch" as he responded to Cesc Fabregas' captaincy claim about him.

The Chelsea star - who ran to Fabregas to celebrate his 100th Blues goal against Watford on Boxing Day - admits that he does his talking on the pitch as he closes in on what could be his best goalscoring season at Stamford Bridge.

His best goalscoring season for Chelsea was the 19 strikes he got in the title-winning 2014/15 campaign, and Fabregas says that while his teammate isn't leadership material off the pitch, on it is a different matter.

(Image: PA)

"With Eden, one thing I can say is that outside of the pitch, if I was a coach, I would never give him the armband," Fabregas told the Chelsea website .

"He is very quiet, he doesn’t talk or get involved in many things.

"But on the pitch, I could give him the armband. He is a leader: he always wants the ball, he always wants to make things happen.

The Belgian says he agrees with his teammate (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

"Yes, sometimes it doesn’t come off, this is the Premier League, a tough league, but he always tries. For every team he plays for, Belgium or Chelsea, he is a very important player."

And the Belgium skipper responded in agreement with the former Arsenal man, even admitting his surprise at getting the armband for his national team.

"Now I am the captain of Belgium, but for me it was strange because I know off the pitch I am not a leader. When I am on the pitch, in a different way to John Terry or Vincent Kompany for Belgium, for sure I am a leader.

"I want the ball when we are in a bit of trouble so I can try to help. On the pitch I enjoy that responsibility a lot. When the team needs me, I try to do my best.

"Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but I never try to hide when we are struggling."